One more day and we’ll have a winner. Surfs 8-10′ solid from a NNW sweep. Still lotta water moving ’round. Smooth. Clear.

See heats and weekend schedule below.

Pipeline, North Shore – Oahu – (26th February, 2016): The world´s best bodyboarders are ready to compete in the world-class waves of Pipeline. The most famous wave in the world returns to the APB World Tour opening the 2016 season in great style. After almost one week waiting the event will start this weekend in epic conditions (the waiting perod finish March 4th). More than

With one of the biggests forecasts ever seen in Hawaii in the last twenty years, APB Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational was postponed the start of the competition in the early days of the window period and the expectation for perfect conditions this weekend was correct. A big swell of 12-15 feet is expected for the two days of competition. A perfect setting for the world’s best athletes show the true spirit bodyboard in Pipeline.

The best bodyboarders in the world are looking forward to the start of the World Tour. In conditions like those is where the best competitors can show the public the true essence of the sport, with deep barels and spetaculars air maneuvers.

Jared Houston (ZAF), current world champion is very excited to compete at Pipe.“This will be a different year for me . I can deal very well with the pressure”, says Jared Houston. “I will try to be the best as I can. In 2015, I reached my ultimate goal to become World Champ and this year I just hope to have some fun again on the tour, “adds Jared who has reached three finals in Pipeline, but never won the event.

An impressive field of elite athletes will converge on Pipeline during the next two weeks for the first event of APBWorld Tour. With thirty-five competitors, Hawaii has the largest contingent of athletes in the Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational , followed by Australia (14) , South Africa (8) , Tahiti and Brazil (6) , United States (4) and Chile (3). Puerto Rico, Reunion Islands and France have two riders each, while Ireland, Japan and the Canary Islands have one.

The first three rounds will define the sixteen athletes who will advance to Round 4, where the top-16 are seeded. Important names from the world scene as  Australian Dave Winchester and Ryan Hardy , both returning to the world tour, six-time champion Guilherme Tamega (which will compete as a wild card ) and the South African Andre Botha will compete in Round 3.

Top 16 – Main Event
Current world champion Jared Houston leads the top-16, which are closely followed by previous world champions Jeff Hubbard, Pierre Louis Costes, Amaury Laverhne, Ben Player, and also the current Pro Junior world champion, Socrates Santana of Brazil.

The young kid from favela Pavão-Pavãozinho will compete for the first time on North Shore. “I always had the dream of visiting Hawaii, but do not expect it to be so soon,” said the Brazilian.

19 world titles in Pipe:
Pipeline is a iconic wave and atraccts the elite of bodyboarding to this event. More than 80 athletes are able to compete at the event, but there is a elite group of eight riders that has crowned professional world championship. In total they sum to nineteen titles together . Guilherme Tamega leads the select group with six titles, followed by Jeff Hubbard and Ben Player, both with three titles. Amaury Laverhne and Andre Botha has two while Paulo Barcellos, Jared Houston and Pierre Louis Costes have one each.

The 2016 APB Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational is proudly supported by the Science, Gyroll, Viper and Kelloggs.

Contest organizers have called on the Mike Stewart Pipe Invitational for Saturday, February 27th  & Sunday, February 28th. Surf is expected to be in the 8-12 foot range and with epic conditions, quite a season for Oahu’s most famous stretch of beaches. Surf will continue to rage all week and is expected to be 20 feet again on Monday with weather conditions declining as a new front approaches. The event will start at 8am and continue to 4pm. Heat draws and schedule is below.

APB 6    Jacob Romero    Hawaii

INVITEE 23    Spencer Skipper    Hawaii